By Dan Estabrook - July 18, 2008 (TNN)
When going green, many of us assume that we need to jettison parts of our soul out the window -- style, personality, and comfort are a few that I have heard. As eco-friendly lifestyles creep more onto Main Street, we are beginning to see a change in this mentality. People are becoming more daring in merging their lifestyles with the need to save the planet.
The other day, I overheard someone say: "Since we are building a new home, we have no choice but to build green. My conscience could not deal with going in any other direction."
There you have it. Well said.
When building their new home, Michael and Lisa Rubenstein of Hillsborough, California wanted to go green. But, they also wanted their dream home, one replete with swimming pool, lots of space, designed for a child in a wheelchair, and full of beautiful lighting, furnishings, and other options.
The final house they built is indeed green, contemporary, and 6,000 square feet. It is a house not unlike other mansions in their town. And, it is totally different other mansions in their town. According to the San Francisco Chronicle:
[The house is] warm contemporary inside, with reclaimed hardwood floors from Restoration Timber and TerraMai, and with natural and sustainable wall coverings including beaded glass (from Innovations), mother of pearl (from Maya Romanoff) and wood grain (from MDC Wood). An impressive front door of ipe and steel opens into a foyer dominated by a curvy, contemporary chandelier and a mother-of-pearl-covered freestanding wall delineating the formal living room. The living room's seasonal focal points: in summer, sliders opening out to the patio and pool, or in winter, a fireplace powered by denatured alcohol.
Are the Rubenstein's alone in their wish to mix glitz and green? Is it possible to save the earth, be glamorous and not live off the grid in a cabin made from driftwood and garbage?
Considering the Rubenstein family only spent an additional 10% to build their glam and green home, I believe the answer is certainly yes. While I don't have plans to leave my 700 square foot apartment any time soon, I do enjoy trying to see how chilly I can get before turning on the heat. Although I don't drive all that much anymore, I have considered purchasing a Prius. I haven't though for two reasons: 1) I will need to sell or otherwise dispose of my current vehicle and it has tons of miles left on it, and 2) the Prius style just isn't me. So, the solution for me is to keep a gas guzzler that I drive less often because I use public transportation. It's the best of all worlds.
This is all less an issue of glitz versus green and more about adapting greening to your lifestyle and personality. When you make that fit, your success for remaining green in the long-term is a whole lot higher. And, isn't that what it is all about?
Photo from San Francisco Chronicle.
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